Bottom Line:
Further, litter number, litter birth weight and the daily weight gain of neonates increased in the arginine group compared to the control group.Arginine supplementation increased significantly the serum progesterone (P<0.01) and nitric oxide levels (P<0.05), but had little effect on the serum estrogen level.SOD activity and T-AOC in the arginine group were significantly higher (P<0.01) than the control group.

Affiliation: Research Center for Healthy Breeding of Livestock and Poultry, Hunan Engineering and Research Center of Animal and Poultry Science and Key Laboratory for Agro-ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hunan, 410125, China.

ABSTRACTThe objective of this study was to investigate whether supplemental dietary arginine increases reproductive performance in mice infected with porcine circovirus type2 (PCV2). A total of 50KM female mice were allotted randomly to the arginine group (0.6% arginine+gestation diet) and control group (1.22% alanine+gestation diet). All the mice began to mate after 14 days of treatment with our prepared feed and challenged with PCV2 at the dose of 100 TCID50 (50% tissue culture infection dose, TCID50) after 7 days of pregnancy. Abortion rate, litter number, litter birth weight, the daily weight gain in the first 7 days and survival rate in the first 2 weeks of the neonates were calculated. The serum progesterone, estrogen, nitric oxide and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) on the 14th day of pregnancy were measured. Arginine supplementation decreased the abortion rate of pregnant mice and mortality of neonates caused by PCV2 infection. Further, litter number, litter birth weight and the daily weight gain of neonates increased in the arginine group compared to the control group. Arginine supplementation increased significantly the serum progesterone (P<0.01) and nitric oxide levels (P<0.05), but had little effect on the serum estrogen level. SOD activity and T-AOC in the arginine group were significantly higher (P<0.01) than the control group. In conclusion, arginine supplementation partially reversed the reproductive failure in mice caused by PCV2 infection.

Fig1: The abortion rate in the arginine group and control group; 0.6% Arg means 0.6% arginine + gestation diet. 1.22% Ala means 1.22% alanine + gestation. Thirteen mice in the arginine group and 12 in the control group

Mentions:
Amino acid content in the gestation diet is shown in Table 1. In the arginine group, two mice (total 13 mice) had abortion; however, three mice in the control group (total 12 mice) aborted (Fig. 1). Litter number increased in the arginine supplementation group compared to the control group (Table 2). Moreover, dietary arginine supplementation increased birth weight, but no statistical significance was found (P = 0.304) (Table 2).Table 1

Fig1: The abortion rate in the arginine group and control group; 0.6% Arg means 0.6% arginine + gestation diet. 1.22% Ala means 1.22% alanine + gestation. Thirteen mice in the arginine group and 12 in the control group

Mentions:
Amino acid content in the gestation diet is shown in Table 1. In the arginine group, two mice (total 13 mice) had abortion; however, three mice in the control group (total 12 mice) aborted (Fig. 1). Litter number increased in the arginine supplementation group compared to the control group (Table 2). Moreover, dietary arginine supplementation increased birth weight, but no statistical significance was found (P = 0.304) (Table 2).Table 1

Bottom Line:
Further, litter number, litter birth weight and the daily weight gain of neonates increased in the arginine group compared to the control group.Arginine supplementation increased significantly the serum progesterone (P<0.01) and nitric oxide levels (P<0.05), but had little effect on the serum estrogen level.SOD activity and T-AOC in the arginine group were significantly higher (P<0.01) than the control group.

Affiliation:
Research Center for Healthy Breeding of Livestock and Poultry, Hunan Engineering and Research Center of Animal and Poultry Science and Key Laboratory for Agro-ecological Processes in Subtropical Region, Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hunan, 410125, China.

ABSTRACTThe objective of this study was to investigate whether supplemental dietary arginine increases reproductive performance in mice infected with porcine circovirus type2 (PCV2). A total of 50KM female mice were allotted randomly to the arginine group (0.6% arginine+gestation diet) and control group (1.22% alanine+gestation diet). All the mice began to mate after 14 days of treatment with our prepared feed and challenged with PCV2 at the dose of 100 TCID50 (50% tissue culture infection dose, TCID50) after 7 days of pregnancy. Abortion rate, litter number, litter birth weight, the daily weight gain in the first 7 days and survival rate in the first 2 weeks of the neonates were calculated. The serum progesterone, estrogen, nitric oxide and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) on the 14th day of pregnancy were measured. Arginine supplementation decreased the abortion rate of pregnant mice and mortality of neonates caused by PCV2 infection. Further, litter number, litter birth weight and the daily weight gain of neonates increased in the arginine group compared to the control group. Arginine supplementation increased significantly the serum progesterone (P<0.01) and nitric oxide levels (P<0.05), but had little effect on the serum estrogen level. SOD activity and T-AOC in the arginine group were significantly higher (P<0.01) than the control group. In conclusion, arginine supplementation partially reversed the reproductive failure in mice caused by PCV2 infection.